Incomplete
by FrameofReality
Summary: Haunting Ground from the crazy maid's point of view/Daniella's story.
1. Prologue

Stirring slightly, the woman's fingers slid along the metal table, drawing his attention. He cautiously walked over to her, wondering... _Has she awoken...?_

He smiled as her eyes fluttered briefly, her long eyelashes catching the light of the lamp overhead. Gently, he lifted her arm and checked for a pulse. Yes...there it was... _Finally, awake. I wonder how she will be..._ He thought, his fingers absently tracing her smooth, flawless, porcelain skin. _She seems to be perfect...the perfect woman...have I finally succeeded?_ He smiled at the thought, and laid her arm back onto the cold metal of the examination table.

"Mmm..." She mumbled, and her eyes opened for a fraction of a second before they closed, but he had seen the iris's color. A light purple...like lavender...beautiful...remarkable... Just the same color as the purple mandragora DNA he had implanted in her. The last ingredient for the perfect servant...or so he hoped.

He checked the IV in her other arm, then sat back down in a chair and contemplated. _Fourth creation...I shall name her...Daniella. Maybe she, too, will have Azoth like Ugo. She would be absolutely perfect then. But, she could also be another failure like Riccardo and Debilitas...with a small amount of it..._ He stopped the thought short before it could continue. No. He could not, would not allow that. Another failure would be too much to bear. For awhile, at least. Then he would try again, and again, and again, until he succeeded. After all, he could live forever, would live forever, and nothing, no one, could stop his research.

"Huh..." Daniella murmured, twitching slightly, and suddenly sat up, the IV almost ripped out of her arm by her sudden movement. He was at her side in an instant, eager and hopeful. With practiced hands, he rearranged the IV, and she watched him, staring... Confused, perhaps? Or just curious? He chuckled, and that seemed to alarm her, so he began talking to her in soothing tones.

"How are you feeling? Can you speak?" He asked, looking deeply into her eyes.

"...Feel...ing?" She replied, seeming confused, although she showed no facial expression.

"Ah, you can talk. Wonderful." He quickly checked her pulse again, and then took out the IV. Blood welled in the tiny spot where the needle had pierced her skin, and she stared at it, her lavender eyes expressionless. "What is this?" She asked after a moment, and her creator smiled.

"That is blood, my dear."

"Blood?"

"Precisely."

"Who are you?" She tilted her head to one side, her elegant lavender curls – the same color as her eyes – falling.

"I am your creator, your master, Lorenzo Belli, the great alchemist."

"Master." Her back went rigid for a moment, then she bowed as much as she could while sitting, her voice immediately changed from thoughtful and confused to respectful. He grinned, already having high hopes for his newest creation. At the word "master", she immediately became obedient, ready to serve. _Wonderful._

"Who...am I...?" She asked, blinking, causing Lorenzo to smile again.

"Your name is Daniella."

"My name is Daniella..." She repeated, almost robot-like, and nodded.

"That's right. Now, come with me, we'll find you some different clothes." He said, gesturing at her simple, white gown, even though Lorenzo thought she would look beautiful even in a sackcloth dress, and it was true. She was the most striking thing he'd ever seen...perhaps she would become his lady...oh, he desperately hoped so.

"Yes, Master." She replied, and followed him out of the room, into the dark, foreboding castle she would learn to call home.

* * *

><p>Daniella screamed. And screamed. And screamed, wondering what she was looking at, who she was looking at. Her Master covered his ears from her inhuman screech, and knew she had more mandragora DNA than he had thought, with that shriek. Her voice reached an octave too high for human ears, and the glass shattered outward, showering her in a halo of sparkling translucence. Lorenzo immediately rushed to her side, and pulled her away from the hazardous ruin.<p>

"That's just your reflection, Daniella. Calm down. Don't be afraid." He soothed her, stroking her hair, her head resting on his chest. She obeyed his order immediately, and turned to look at her Master.

"Reflection...?" She asked, perplexed, her face still a mask.

"A reflection of yourself, dear."

"Of...myself...?"

"Yes. Come along, now." Daniella nodded, still not quite understanding, and was led by Lorenzo into a bedroom, one that overlooked a run-down garden, and once again, her reflection in the glass startled her, but Master had told her not to be afraid, so she wasn't. Instead, she studied herself, her tall form, her oddly colored hair and eyes, her pale, flawless skin. She didn't know what to make of herself, of her reflection. She would have to ask Master.

"Master...?" She began, thoughtfully, fearful of speaking out of turn.

"Yes, Daniella?" He asked, his voice slightly muffled as he searched for her new clothes in a wardrobe beside the window.

"What am I?" He stopped rummaging through the clothes and looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?" He almost growled.

"What...am I? Am I..." She searched for a word, and saw one on an open notebook on the bed. "Hideous?"

He spotted what she had looked at and took the book into his hands, slamming it shut, seeming angry. He grabbed her wrists, a little roughly, and said, "No. You are beautiful, Daniella. You are the perfect woman." He smiled briefly at her, then released her from his grip and continued his search.

"Beautiful...perfect...?" Lorenzo didn't answer, instead came up with an outfit.

"Put this on, Daniella, and I'll be right back." He commanded her, laying the clothes on the bed. Daniella bowed, then blinked, staring at the fire in the hearth, it's orange flames burning the wood to ashes. She blinked again, and then changed clothes quickly, and Lorenzo knocked on the door and came in soon after to find her sitting in a chair, awaiting further instruction. He scanned her up and down, admiring her beauty in the outfit he had picked out for her, a maid's outfit.

"That suits you well." He commented as he gently grabbed her arm. She didn't respond, just stared at her reflection in the window across from her, occasionally switching her attention to the flames in the fireplace. _Reflections, mirrors, windows, and fire...is she just curious, or does she really not understand what they are?_ He thought to himself. "I'm going to make a cut on your palm, Daniella. Tell me if you feel anything."

"Yes, Master." She replied hollowly. He picked up his knife and made a quick, but deep, incision on her left palm. Blood immediately flowed forth, but she remained motionless.

"Do you feel anything? Do you feel pain?" He asked. She just stared at him, maybe not comprehending. He made another, similar cut, on her other palm, and questioned her again. She remained silent.

Lorenzo sighed. "So you cannot feel pain..." He wiped the knife clean of her blood on a napkin.

"I cannot feel...pain." She repeated, blinking. Lorenzo nodded slightly, and then handed her a cup of water, and told her to drink it. He had to instruct her to swallow, as well.

"Do you taste it? Can you taste?" He whispered eagerly, loud enough for her to hear. Silence, then: "I cannot taste." He cursed silently. Last test... He sighed, already expecting the outcome. He slowly moved his hand up her leg, and watched her expression carefully.

"Do you feel anything? Pleasure?" He asked, and his heart plummeted when she remained silent and then replied, "I cannot feel pleasure."_ Another failure...how can she be so perfect, but not...have so much beauty, so much potential...?_ "You are not complete!" He yelled in a sudden fit of rage, and left the room, slamming the door behind him, Daniella's palm still bleeding, wound neglected, her eyes still staring at her reflection in the window. "I am not complete." She whispered, and felt a deep hollowness within her. She felt as if she had...something...lacking...


	2. Chapter 1

_Later..._

Daniella wandered around the castle, looking for anything that might need cleaning. She took her duster and expertly dusted the hall near the main guestroom. She was still quite confused about what Master Lorenzo had told Riccardo, for he had shown her around the rest of the castle after Master Lorenzo had gotten angry for her being incomplete, acting very friendly, if a bit odd. But, after talking to Master Lorenzo, Riccardo now acted cold and distant toward her, only speaking to her to tell her to clean his room or some other part of the castle.

That didn't bother Daniella much, though, for she had been informed a new guest was coming to stay at Belli Castle, and Master Lorenzo had instructed her to clean up and make sure the girl was comfortable while she visited and to keep Master Riccardo as far away from her as possible... For what reason, Daniella didn't know, but she didn't question her Master's instructions. She swiftly entered the bedroom, the same one with the fireplace her Master had taken her to on her very first day of life.

She placed her duster on the bed, moving silently toward the window, watching the girl, Miss Fiona Belli, cautiously walk toward the steps that would lead her to the bedroom. She stopped near the stairs, gripping her only garment, a sheet, tightly, and looked around her fearfully. Daniella smiled coldly and rummaged through the wardrobe to find some clothes for the young miss. She glanced again at Miss Fiona, and blinked.

"You have nothing to fear, Miss Fiona. Master Riccardo is tending to his experiments and Debilitas is playing with his dolls. Master Lorenzo awaits you soon," She muttered, laying an outfit on the bed and swiftly exited the room to continue dusting before the young miss entered. A few moments later, she heard the door to the garden open and then hesitantly close, and Daniella put aside her duster and straightened her apron, wanting to look presentable for her Master's guest.

Quietly opening the door and walking to the bed as the girl looked around the front of the room, not noticing the maid as Daniella patiently waited for her to end her inspection, hoping she thought well of her work, and then smiled as she turned around, seeming confused and fearful... _Of me?_ She pushed the thought aside and continued smiling, extending her arm toward the garments on the bed, and said, "I've gathered some clothes for you." Assuming she was not one to be of gratitude like Riccardo, she turned to leave the room so the young miss could change.

"Wait, don't go," Fiona said, saying it more like an uncertain question. Obeying, Daniella turned and looked at her, lavender eyes and pale face emotionless, awaiting orders. "Um, excuse me, but, where are we? And, how did I get here?" She asked tentatively, her European accent somewhat endearing, her eyes looking ever so innocent and scared. Daniella looked up to the portrait on the wall, the one of her Master, and, trying to comfort the miss as she had been instructed, said, "Yes, Master. We will keep her here for awhile. I will make sure she stays comfortable." Then Daniella watched calmly as Miss Fiona looked at the painting, a faraway look in her eyes, then fell to the ground.

Daniella thought nothing of it, for Master had told her to expect oddness from the guest and to not make anything of it. _I'll check on the Miss later, make sure she's comfortable._ Daniella thought nonchalantly, having chores to attend to. Daniella exited the room, grabbed her duster and closed the door firmly behind her.


	3. Chapter 2

Daniella turned up the heat on the stove, watching the contents of the soup swirl in the hot water. Once she had a stray thought, she never understood why she was the one to cook, seeing as she couldn't taste. Surely she couldn't guarantee the quality of the meal without an ability so important? It didn't bother her though, as the Master had instilled in her it was one of her duties and he never seemed to particularly dislike her meals, so she had dispelled it quickly. Master Riccardo, on the other hand…he was one to openly complain at the dinner table, often daring to make rude remarks while Daniella stood attentively at her Master's side as he ate. Eventually, the Master had grown weary of his behaviour and had ordered him to eat elsewhere. He had then resorted to hunting the abundance of game in the Chaos Forest, while he had Debilitas plant vegetables and the like in the garden, to which the giant was thrilled to take care of along with his other plants. It hadn't bothered her…she'd never cared much for the man anyway, only serving him as instructed by her Master because of their rather strained relation.

Off to her side, she heard a door slowly creak open, but all she did in response was pick up her ladle, stirring the soup somewhat absently. Her lavender eyes were half-closed in slight thought as she noticed the Miss, dressed in her new clothes, inch into her field of vision, a strange white form close to her leg. Dog. The maid identified, wondering absently how the girl had found the thing. The last she'd seen of it, Riccardo had tied it to a tree in the front garden as punishment for trying to escape him. Daniella remembered it well, for it had been a recent occurrence, Riccardo having somehow acquired the dog to teach it how to hunt. He was a bit young, she had noticed, and though she knew little of other creatures, she could tell he was not meant for the simple task of chasing rabbits.

His quiet growl caught her attention though she didn't turn to glare at him as she usually did. Yes, he had always acted strangely around everyone in the castle, as if sensing they themselves weren't normal…he was intelligent for an animal, she'd give him that. But that didn't make him any less of a nuisance, especially when he managed to get inside and lay on the furniture or growl and bite when one of them got too near. Daniella wasn't surprised the young woman had taken pity on the creature, considering, from what she could see, it seemed affectionate toward her, almost…protective of her. She dismissed the thought, reasoning that, as her Master had said, though it seemed smart, it was only a dog, and the beast was only loyal so long as it wanted to be.

Steam rose in a barely visible cloud from the pot, and she tilted her head slightly, watching out of the corner of her eye as Fiona tentatively moved forward, only to quickly step back again, unsure. The maid assumed she had a question, or perhaps more, but she was not about to be distracted from her current task. Instead, she brought up some of the soup to show the Miss, curious of her reaction. "Hm?" Thin angel-blonde noodles drooped from the ladle, as fine as hair, and Fiona's soft eyes widened. Daniella wasn't bothered at all by it. She assumed she was either like Master Riccardo when it came to her cooking, or that she was not used to eating such things…that is, if she had any idea of the contents.

It was not something they ate too often, as they disliked the possibility of bringing attention to themselves and the castle, which had largely been forgotten, but Riccardo had informed her that Master Lorenzo thought it necessary. Though she doubted he had spoken to him, she also understood the danger of leaving evidence of their existence, as Master Lorenzo had drilled to her time and time again. She was unsure of the details concerning the young woman's arrival, and showed no incentive to ask. As far as she was concerned, it was none of her business unless she was told it was. For now, she was simply ordered to care for the Miss as well as attend to her regular duties, and that was what she would do without question.

Fiona was still standing and staring at her, and Daniella frowned ever so slightly for a split second. There was something about the girl…she had noticed it before, but had been busy cleaning at the time. Though now was not the time to mull over it, she allowed herself a small respite. _Strange…it is as if…_ The Miss left before she could complete her thought, and Daniella turned back, lavender eyes narrowed in suspicion.


End file.
